An EU delegation arrived in the besieged Gaza Strip today to assess the health situation in the Palestinian territory amid a coronavirus outbreak.
The delegation visited the European Hospital in Gaza for treatment of COVID-19 patients. It will also visit EU-funded projects in Gaza and meet representatives of the territory’s civil society.
The EU said in a statement yesterday that the visit aims to show solidarity with the residents of Gaza and to review the health situation in the Palestinian enclave.
EU delegation in Gaza this morning
Ill-equipped for tackling the pandemic, EU response must prioritize Gaza as its health infrastructure slowly collapses.
Vital medical equipment, vaccine accessibility + needed electricity, all pivotal. This is a crucial moment for Gazans pic.twitter.com/RLbZnjW70J
— EuroPal Forum (@EuroPalForum) December 8, 2020
Gaza has been struggling to curb the coronavirus outbreak amid a shortage of medicines and medical supplies due to the 13-year Israeli blockade.
Health authorities in Gaza have reported around 25,500 virus infections, including 149 deaths, since March.
#Coronavirus: #Gaza Resumes #Screening after Receiving Test Kits from #WHO https://t.co/k9vj46oO98 via @PalestineChron #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/yokJ1mO2a7
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 8, 2020
Speaking at a press conference earlier today, representative of the European Union in the Palestinian territories, Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, said: “We have come here to learn about the problems of the Gaza Strip and provide support in the name of the European Union.”
“We offer our support to the Palestinian cause and we seek fully to achieve Palestinian independence, and Gaza is an integral part of Palestine.”
He said the EU was working with the WHO to ensure Palestinians obtain the coronavirus vaccine, adding that it is also vital that the work of UNRWA continues to be supported to the benefit of refugees.
A Terrifying Scenario: Coronavirus in 'Quarantined' Gaza | Article by: Ramzy Baroud https://t.co/VTmFVshbfv
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) March 4, 2020
Gaza, with a population of 2 million, has been under a hermetic Israeli siege since 2006, when the Palestinian group Hamas won the democratic legislative elections in occupied Palestine.
Since then, Israel has carried out numerous bombing campaigns and several major wars, that resulted in the death of thousands of people.
(Palestine Chronicle, MEMO, Social Media)
